COLUMN: The Funding of Malcolm Brown Auditorium

Published: Monday, November 19, 2012 at 09:50 AM.

Since I wanted to know how much of Malcolm Brown’s auditorium expense was derived from fundraising and how much was contributed by tax money, I felt the best source of information would be the archived minutes of the Shelby City School Board and of the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners.

The information that I am sharing with you covers the story of Malcolm Brown Auditorium beginning with the May 1971 minutes, which was the first mention of wanting an auditorium, until October 1975, the naming of the Auditorium to be Malcolm E. Brown.

In reviewing the minutes, I was surprised to find that I could account for almost all of the funding and that there was no mention of any donations or fund-raising events. The entire “fund raising” was done the good old fashion way – taxes. And, the people of Shelby did support the idea of an auditorium in the most important way, by voting yes to a bond referendum for $1,750,000 in September of 1972.

In today’s economy, $1.75 million does not sound like enough money to build an auditorium, but the architect who provided the estimate for Malcolm Brown Auditorium said “a first class auditorium with a full basement and a cafeteria” could be built for $1,150,000.

Over the past year, as interest in auditoriums for Burns and Crest High Schools has developed, public misconception about the financing of Shelby’s Malcolm Brown Auditorium has infiltrated the discussion.

Those of us who desire auditoriums for the children in the Burns and Crest district have been told to follow the example of the citizens of Shelby. Their example has generally been presented as a community that fund-raised much, if not most, of the money for Malcolm Brown Auditorium.

This idea has been conveyed by School Board candidates, by School Board members, and even (and this shows most how pervasive the idea) by a Burns High School student. The student, in a comment to a previous letter that I had written to The Star, said that the existing auditoriums within Cleveland County “were paid for at no expense to the school board but were paid for by donors in the community.” His was the comment that made me think I needed to see just how much of this often-stated idea was true.

Since I wanted to know how much of Malcolm Brown’s auditorium expense was derived from fundraising and how much was contributed by tax money, I felt the best source of information would be the archived minutes of the Shelby City School Board and of the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners.

The information that I am sharing with you covers the story of Malcolm Brown Auditorium beginning with the May 1971 minutes, which was the first mention of wanting an auditorium, until October 1975, the naming of the Auditorium to be Malcolm E. Brown.

In reviewing the minutes, I was surprised to find that I could account for almost all of the funding and that there was no mention of any donations or fund-raising events. The entire “fund raising” was done the good old fashion way – taxes. And, the people of Shelby did support the idea of an auditorium in the most important way, by voting yes to a bond referendum for $1,750,000 in September of 1972.

In today’s economy, $1.75 million does not sound like enough money to build an auditorium, but the architect who provided the estimate for Malcolm Brown Auditorium said “a first class auditorium with a full basement and a cafeteria” could be built for $1,150,000.

As is typical, the project cost more than the estimate and more than the approved bond referendum. To manage the shortfall, the Cleveland County Commissioners pledged at least $182,000 and up to $300,000 to use as needed.

In my research, I found no instance of any private contribution. That is not to say that there were no private contributions. I just didn’t find any.

Far more interesting to me is that there was another part to this story that is never mentioned. That is the “Special Bond and Assumption Referendum” that was passed by the voters of our entire county in October of 1973. This deal resulted in the financing of Burns and Crest Middle Schools (Junior Highs at the time) and Malcolm Brown Auditorium. All three were paid for by all the taxpayers of the county. Malcolm Brown Auditorium cost about the same as each of the middle schools.

This bond referendum meant a lot of things to all the citizens of Cleveland County, but for the story of Malcolm Brown Auditorium, it meant the entire amount of $1,750,000 and the interest would be paid by the tax payers of the entire county. The last year payments were made on that debt was 1992, the year my son graduated from Burns High School in a hot gymnasium instead of an auditorium.

The desire for an auditorium has been expressed, quite loudly and clearly. In fact, many experts – from both local and far-away places – have articulated the many benefits of an auditorium. However, some still do not think an auditorium is a real need. Some of those who do not think there is a need for Burns and Crest auditoriums, such as School Board members who clearly represent the interests of Kings Mountain and Shelby, are essentially saying, “Some schools need it, but others don’t.”

When I look at the people leaving our traditional schools for other alternatives, I see parents determined to get a first-class, well-rounded education for their children that includes not only reading, math and science, but the arts as well. Those parents are also looking for traditional activities that spark an interest in learning. Some of these activities are best accomplished with the aid of an auditorium.

Another benefit of an auditorium, which may be overlooked by those who have always had an auditorium, is discussed in the recent book Waiting for Superman. The author points out the importance of bringing the community into the school and having the community feel a part of the school.

While sport events do bring people together, they are not the only place for bringing a community into the school. Talent shows, awards ceremonies, inspirational performances by orchestras and choruses, along with presentations and public programs bring communities together, as well as raise the standard of living for the community as a whole.

If we look to the Malcolm Brown Auditorium as a way we can accomplish the building of an auditorium today, then this is what we find the example to be:

Someone in the community shows an interest in having an auditorium; the school board (with ever present prodding from an effective superintendent) then takes the lead in getting various community groups, leaders, school faculties, school staffs and parent teacher organizations to support the effort; the school board leads the effort to find and utilize the best sources of tax funding available; and, finally, sees it through with attention to getting the most for the money.

This may explain why larger projects can be accomplished when the school board represented one school group such as Shelby or Kings Mountain and not a multiple school area as did Cleveland County. Obviously, we now have an even greater multiple school area and, perhaps, a greater problem for achieving an auditorium for the Upper Cleveland and West Cleveland areas. But, more difficult does not make it impossible

Last year, a new middle school opened for 450 students in Shelby, costing far more than we are asking our county to spend on both auditoriums combined. It’s time for our county and consolidated school system to work together to make sure that no Cleveland County child’s education is limited by the zip code in which they reside.